The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-07-07

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people demanding their rights Let then
organize and settle upon definite plan
anG then bend every effort to the accom-
plishment of their purpose. Let no mai
be elected who will not favor the Georgi
Rail road t stands; not some othe
bill not some similar bill. but that pdrta
catlar bill, and that alone, for if once TIT
forces are divided upon what may be re
garded as either non essentials or more
stringent provisions, then defeat is new
table. We know this measure has worked
out good results, and if we adopt it we may
feel assured of relief. Pledge every candl
date upon this one definite measure. Ii
he be Republican, and honestly favors II
and his Democratic opponent is evaslVe
and non committal, then support the Re
publican, and vice versa. AS much as
dislike Malone, still if the issue were Ma
hone and the bill, or a Democrat without
the bill, then I'd swallow Malone. Ii
would make little difference to us who
rules the State if we are not permitted t(
live in it, and unless relief comes from
some source, our condition must become
unbearable.
Capt. Slaughter closed with an appea
for organization and a brave, determined
fight He was applauded at various points
in his speech, his words seeming to arouse
the listeners considerably.
AS the speaker sat down Mr.. Merrlck
offered resolution requesting ANY party
Disseminated against by the railroad to
apply for redress to the railroad commits
sioner and also address letter setting forth
the facts to MI. Chas. Grattan, Staunton,
the chairman of the committee.
COL. ROBERT BEVERLY.
The next speaker introduced by Col.
Duke was Colonel Robert Beverly, Presi-
dent of the Farmers Congress of the
United States, and also of the Farmers
Assembly of Virginia. AS he rose to his
feet generous welcome greeted him. He
introduced his remarks by an allusion to
his long Identification with the farming
interests, and his work in behalf thereof.
Although the duties imposed by the posi-
ton he held as the official head of the Or
ganized farmers of the Union were onerOus,
still it was labor Of love to serve those
who had thus honored him, and with
whom his interests and his sympathies
were. He rapidly sketched the advan-
tages which the agriculturists of Vir-
ginia should enjoy, and contrasted them
with the depressed condition which the
face of the country, and the long faces OF
the tillers of the soil, too plainly evil
dence. The depression he ascribed, not
to Providence, but to the effects OF false
legislation both state and national. He
related his experience in Washington in
trying to secure favorable Congressional
action on measures of Importance to the
farmers. The first was the bill to raise
the Agricultural Department to the dig
nifty of a cabinet office. The govern
ment of the United States has no official
head to department which represents
the interests of 81 per cent. of the whole
population, Effort after effort was made
to secure the necessary legislation, but
without avail. Twice it passed the House
to find its grave in the Senate. The SEN
ate had not single farmer in it, and OF
the 500 members of the House only %
| were farmers. This was one Of the effects
of lack of representation by the farming
interests. The farmers were taxed, but
taxed without representation, the very
grievance which brought about the indie
pendence of the American citizen, and the
establishment of the government itself.
It was fact which farmers should make
note of and carefully study. They are prac-
tically excluded from representation In
state and nation, and should demand their
due proportion of legislative and other
positions. He, of course, would exclude
the judiciary, though as far as his observa-
tion went, justice was more evenly dlspens-
ed under the old system when a. farmer pre-
sided oyer the county court than it ever
had been since. The second was the es-
Enlistment Of agricultural stations in
connection with the Weather Bureau, and
thus apprise the farmers twenty-four or
forty. eight hours in advance of the proba
bilities. This would advise them of the
approach of storms or frost and enable
them to prepare against disastrous results.
He related number of instances where
thousands of dollars might have been
saved had the information that could have
been conveyed to the farmers been at
their command. The system would have
cost bit $780, 900, from treasury SO pie
thoric that the disposition of the surplus
is in itself a perplexing problem. And yet
nothing was done.
Again. the bill to stamp out infectious
diseases among animals, and especially
hay cholera, met with an almost similar
disposal. 1t is true we secured partial
enactment on peuro-pneumonla, but that
did not go half far enough, 7
The Interstate Commerce bill passed
in an emasculated shape, but it may be
the entering wedge. No one unacquainted
with the facts can appreciate the effect OF
| IdlllOdu ul0ClllullldblUu. LILO 10 pAA0s
not only here, but in other states which
have no railroad law. A farmer Of Mis-
souri, told me that he had sold his corn for
Ice per bushel, when the ruling price in
Baltimore was As cents. He was com-
PEELED to dispose of his crop in this way,
BECAUSE he would have gotten less to have
shipped it. The freight from his home to
St. Louis, 90 miles, was IL cts. per bushel
from St. Louis to Baltimore. 200 miles. 10
cents per bushel, and 10 cents per bushel
to the middleman. This is one of the
evils which the long and short haul OF the
Inter-States bill is intended to remedy.
But yog must not only have an Interstate,
but q State bill also.
If we turn to State legislation the same
neglect of the farming interests stands
prominently to the front. The Commits
sioner of Agriculture receives the pitlfu
appropriation of 81 $780, Scarcely enough
to provide Office rent and employ one
chemist. Georgia's regular appropria
tion to this department is $4,000, and
like sum is received from the tax on for
eign fertilizers. North Carolina gives
$4,000, and all of the progressive states
make liberal appropriations to this lmpor
isn't object. Our last Legislature turned